When a chance conversation at a beer bar introduced her to the word “SCADA,” Margarita Rosenkrans had no idea it would spark a career in industrial automation. In this episode, Courtney and Alicia chat with Margarita—Sales Engineer at Inductive Automation—about her path from graduating in the middle of a hiring freeze to thriving in both support and sales engineering roles. We cover her behind-the-scenes insights from OT SCADA CON, the culture and community at Inductive, favorite Ignition features, troubleshooting war stories, and even how she used Ignition’s Maker Edition to build her wedding website. Whether you’re an Ignition pro or just automation-curious, you’ll enjoy this mix of career lessons, tech talk, and personal stories.

Thank you to Inductive Automation for sponsoring this Episode and the recent support of OT SCADA CON - where we were lucky enough to meet Maggie in person!

Find out more about the Ignition Community Conference happening Sept 16 - 18 in Sacramento CA and get your tickets to Level Up! your SCADA game.

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________

Co-Hosts are Alicia Gilpin Director of Engineering at Process and Controls Engineering LLC, Nikki Gonzales Director of Business Development at Weintek USA, and Courtney Fernandez Robot Master at FAST One Solutions.

Follow us on Linkedin and YouTube for live videos, demos, and other content!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for episode updates, job announcements, and more!

Get in touch with us at automationladies.io!

P.S. - Help our podcast grow with a 5-star podcast review if you love us!

Ever wondered what it takes to lead automation projects at trailblazing companies like Tesla and The Boring Company?

Nikki chats with Riddhi Padariya about her journey from nerdy high schooler inspired by "How It's Made" to becoming a controls engineering leader in industries ranging from tissue manufacturing to carbon capture and underground tunneling. They dive into hands-on lessons, breakthrough technologies like virtual commissioning, the power of industry communities, and Riddhi’s passion for making automation more accessible, especially for the next generation of engineers.

--------------------

This episode is brought to you by SPS Atlanta. Smart Production Solutions is the world's premiere industrial automation trade show is coming to the US!

Register today: https://www.xpressreg.net/register/SPSA0925/landing.asp?sc&aban&hkey&iq&vip&tm

---------------------

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales/

Connect with Ali on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering/

Connect with Courtney on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez/

Connect with Riddhi on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/riddhipadariya/

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________

Co-Hosts are Alicia Gilpin Director of Engineering at Process and Controls Engineering LLC, Nikki Gonzales Director of Business Development at Weintek USA, and Courtney Fernandez Robot Master at FAST One Solutions.

Follow us on Linkedin and YouTube for live videos, demos, and other content!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for episode updates, job announcements, and more!

Get in touch with us at automationladies.io!

P.S. - Help our podcast grow with a 5-star podcast review if you love us!

Curious how someone ends up building a career around machine vision and industrial automation?

Nikki sits down with Kerry Pierce, discussing the winding path that led her from computer engineering to becoming a machine vision integrator, the invaluable lessons learned along the way, and how she’s helping demystify the field for newcomers.

-------

This episode is brought to you by SPS Atlanta. Smart Production Solutions is the world's premiere industrial automation trade show is coming to the US!

Register today: https://www.xpressreg.net/register/SPSA0925/landing.asp?sc&aban&hkey&iq&vip&tm

----------

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales/

Connect with Ali on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering/

Connect with Courtney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez/

Connect with Kerry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kspierce/

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________

Co-Hosts are Alicia Gilpin Director of Engineering at Process and Controls Engineering LLC, Nikki Gonzales Director of Business Development at Weintek USA, and Courtney Fernandez Robot Master at FAST One Solutions.

Follow us on Linkedin and YouTube for live videos, demos, and other content!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for episode updates, job announcements, and more!

Get in touch with us at automationladies.io!

P.S. - Help our podcast grow with a 5-star podcast review if you love us!